


Sweet Thereafter

by Starbound_Beast



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Crimson Flower, M/M, Post-Canon, Sorry Not Sorry, This is so soft, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-26 10:08:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21372412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starbound_Beast/pseuds/Starbound_Beast
Summary: “Their whereabouts thereafter have been the subject of much conjecture among historians."Mercedes knows exactly where her brother and his husband are because she bakes them treats and plays cards with them every week.
Relationships: Jeritza von Hrym/My Unit | Byleth, Mercedes von Matritz/Lorenz Hellman Gloucester (Mentioned)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 170





	Sweet Thereafter

Mercedes hummed a pleasant melody as she made her way down the wooded path. The birds were out, the breeze was light, the sparkling sun warmed her from the inside out. It made her feel as though the goddess was smiling down on her. Her heart burst from the joy of it.

Soon she would see her brother and his husband and bring them both the best news of her life! And her special Tiramisu, Emile’s favorite. She had baked it just this morning and wrapped it up in a basket. It was so fresh, the aroma of it still hit her nose.

A rustling in the undergrowth caught her attention and she turned around to find a large black cat sauntering up to greet her.

“Hello Mr. Gelato! How are you today?”

_“Mew,”_ said Gelato as he rubbed Mercedes’ leg.

“Are your fathers around? I have something for them.” She reached down to pet the cats back. Gelato took the opportunity to stick his furry face into the basket.

“Oh no, I’m sorry. I haven’t brought any treats for you today. Perhaps I can persuade Emile to give you all some treats, hm?”

The large cat trotted ahead of her as though leading the way. As she went, several other cats of varying colors and sizes stepped out to walk with her until she had a parade of them all weaving around her and meowing happily.

“It’s a fine day today isn’t it?” She asked one small tabby who had ran up to her chittering like a squirrel. “Not too cold yet, just a brisk bite to the air. Perfect!”

She heard the loud thunk of wood being chopped before anything else. It was that time of year certainly. She wondered who was doing the chopping when the cabin came into view.

It was small but spacious enough for two men and a small herd of cats. Made entirely of logs and practically built into the hill it leant against, it was as rustic a home as they came. As far out of the way as two stoic introverts could have it without Mercedes worrying they would become feral.

_“I would not mind living in the wild,”_ Jeritza had said, to which Mercedes had tutted and Byleth had replied, _“There’s nowhere to get ice cream if you live in a cave.”_ Jeritza begrudgingly conceded to this fact and their cabin had been built only so far from society. But not too far that Mercedes couldn’t come every week with baked goods and stories of all their companions.

She rounded the corner of the cabin to the back where, nestled against the hill they kept their wood pile. A sizable amount of logs littered the ground around the chopping block. Her brother stood among them, back straight under a light tunic, hair done up in a neat pile on his head even as he heaved the large axe down. Mercedes waited until he had turned to grab another log before she call out.

“Hello Emile!”

He turned his head as he grabbed a log and stopped. He straightened up smiling at her and put his axe firmly into the block.

“Big sister! I’d advise you not to embrace me. I’ve been out here for at least an hour-”

“Oh I don’t mind, come here!” She wrapped her arms around him, the basket held away. Jeritza returned the hug without another word. After the prerequisite warm embrace, Mercedes held him at arms length.

“Hm. You stink.”

“I tried to warn you. What have you got there?” He asked, reaching out for the basket. Mercedes pulled it away with a smile.

“Ah-ah! It’s for later. Maybe you should come have inside for a break.”

“Indeed. Byleth is currently preparing dinner. A nice rabbit stew.”

“Ooh. Let’s go bother him then! Come on!” Jeritza allowed himself to be dragged along and into the cabin, a couple of cats following them through the door.

-

The interior of the little cabin was cozy and inviting, to cats if not to other people. At the edge where wall met ceiling, a catwalk spanned throughout the whole of the living area. The large window at the front of the cabin had a wide cushioned window-seat where several cats already lay soaking in the afternoon sun. The two of them had drawn up the plans themselves, enlisted the help of local carpenters and their dream house had become reality.

_"It sounds like the perfect place to stay in all day!”_ Bernedetta had said when Jeritza and Byleth had let their plans known to the remaining Black Eagle Strike Force.

_“It sounds lovely,”_ Dorothea had said.

_“It sounds like it might smell less than lovely,”_ Hubert had sneered.

Byleth had only just managed to hold Jeritza back from saying his piece. _"We’ll be responsible. All our cats are going to be altered.”_

And so they had, by the grace of healing magic and Byleth’s prodigious fishing expertise, their own veritable herd of happy, healthy cats. As well as the occasional “gift” left in a boot. They were content to say the least.

As Mercedes walked into the little cabin she was greeted only by the smell of Byleth’s cooking.

“My love,” Jeritza said. Mercedes would never grow tired of hearing the joy in her brother’s voice. “Mercedes is here.”

The man at the wood stove turned in the process of tasting his creation. He smiled with his mouth around a wooden spoon.

“Mercie! You’re just in time for dinner!”

“I’ve brought Tiramisu for dessert.”

“Oh? Perhaps we should have a little first-” Jeritza began before Byleth swatted him.

“No, dinner first. Try it.” He held the spoon out and Jeritza dutifully took a sip.

“Mm. Perhaps I should be patient, it is nice.”

“Mmmm. You think?”

Mercedes smiled. “The two of you are so sweet sometimes.”

“Sweet? I am not sweet,” Jeritza scoffed as he made his way down the hall to their bedroom. Byleth rolled his eyes after him.

“I swear Mercie, that brother of yours would eat nothing but candied fruit if I wasn’t here. I’m surprised the man has two teeth left in his head.”

A muffled grunt was heard at the other end of the hall from behind a cracked door.

“I heard that.”

“Of course you did. Mercie, you can just put that basket over there on the counter where _nobody_ can get into it.”

Mercedes chuckled and went to sit at the table in her usual spot near the stove. She watched Byleth go about his business stirring the stew, checking on buns in the oven, shooing away several nosy felines, humming as he went. He was the picture of domesticity.

"You know, I'm forever grateful my brother has someone like you Byleth," Mercedes said quietly. “Thank you.”

Byleth turned around ostensibly to stir the stew that no longer needed stirring. In reality he had to take a moment to tool his face back into composure; Mercie’s comment had shook him and lit something inside him. His face burnt and his eyes watered. He literally shook from the emotion. _An overreaction perhaps. Embarrassing._ It had been several years since the crest stone placed in him had shattered and still he had trouble controlling his emotions

“No need to thank me Mercie,” he said softly. “It’s, um, my job.”

“What job would that be?” Jeritza had appeared, face washed, hair combed out of his face, fresh clothing on. He was so beautiful. Byelth stopped shaking.

“To make sure you don’t starve. Set the table, the buns are almost done.”

-

After dinner they ate the tiramisu, Byleth and Mercedes with a cup of tea and Jeritza with the largest scoop of cream he could fit onto one spoon. Jeritza had grabbed his second slice before the other two had finished.

“It is divine Mercedes,” he managed the second he got one mouthful down.

“That’s disgusting.” Byleth sipped his tea.

“Thank you Emile! I suppose I should write you the recipe Byleth.”

“If you have to,” he sighed.

“Please do Mercedes. I would like that very much. Byleth is an excellent cook, but he so rarely likes to bake.”

Mercedes watched the two of them, delighted when Byleth absently reached out with a napkin. Her brother bent toward him and allowed his face to be wiped without a word said between them. She smiled, no longer able to hold back what she had been dying to tell them the whole night.

“I’m pregnant.”

They both stopped mid-wipe to turn and stare at her. Byleth dropped the napkin.

“What?”

“I’m about a month along! Next summer Lorenz and I will have a baby. Well, another baby. We consider all of the children at the orphanage to be our babies. Mother is beside herself with excitement!”

“That’s wonderful Mercie!”

Jeritza scared them both of a sudden by slamming his fists onto the table, cream spattering inelegantly over his hands from the spoon he still clenched tight.

“Mercedes,” he said with dramatic intensity. “If Lorenz ever treats you wrongly you will let me know!”

“Oh goodness,” Mercedes laughed. “I practically had to beg him to let me come on my own. He wanted me to have a full escort of knights just to come here! As if he would ever!”

Byleth glared at Jeritza but the man staunchly ignored him.

“Mercedes, my sweet,” she began in her best impersonation of her pompous husband. She pressed her hand to her chest. “I only worry for your safety. That child is to be the heir of House Gloucester. I would never be able to live with myself if anything happened to either of you!”

Jeritza seemed to relax somewhat, his shoulders lost their tension and his fists unclenched.

“Very well.”

“Oh, but the sentiment is appreciated Emile! I know you would do anything for your family.”

Byleth had been about to prod Jeritza for scaring the shit out of him, when Mercedes had turned her smile on him. When she smiled like _that_ at them, he knew it was all right. They were all right.

Jeritza dropped his spoon and reached across to grab her hand. “We are so happy for you Mercedes.”

“We really are,” Byleth added.

She put her hand atop Jeritza’s. “Thank you both.”

Byleth handed her the napkin he’d dropped and she dabbed a corner to her eye, then another to her cream smeared hands. “What did I ever do to deserve such a wonderful family!” She gushed.

Byleth felt the water return to his eyes. He didn’t want to control the emotion this time. “I could ask the same.”

-

Later that night as they lay together in bed, several of their cats perched on and between them purring happily, Jeritza wondered. A child. Mercedes would have a child. Never in his wildest imaginings as a youth would he have imagined this life to turn out as it had. He’d never thought he would be free of his father or the Death Knight and then he had. He’d never thought he’d see his mother or Mercedes ever again and then he had. Now she was to be a mother and he was to be an uncle. And never had he anticipated that he’d have someone of his own he’d care so much for.

Byleth lay with his arms around their cat Pumpkin, his dark lashes shadowed against pale cheeks in the light of the fireplace,his fine hair mussed in sleep. Byleth was so lovely, kind and strong.

Even during their battles against those who slither in the dark, Byleth always seemed to be one step ahead of him, just that much stronger. And he was always so damnably understanding about the deadly compulsion that lived within Jeritza even when it was his life was at risk. 

Jeritza was a wretch. He’d never felt completely worthy of someone like that. Especially not since that someone had once been a person he’d set out to kill. Hoped, in turn to be killed by. . .

Yet Byleth, by the will of the goddess or some other unknowable supernatural force had seen him fit of all people to devote his life to. He’d only hoped he had the strength of will never to betray that trust.

Struck by self pity, he reached out to pet Pumpkin and only succeeded in bothering the poor animal. He watched her stretch and heard the thud of her feet as she jumped to the wood floor. He sighed.

“They can smell when you’re brooding y’know,” Byleth said softly, his eyes still closed, a smile playing on his lips. He reached out to gently grasp Jeritza’s hand.

“If you’re so upset you can pet me. I can take it.”

“Yes. I suppose you’re right,” said Jeritza as he curled his fingers in the soft hair.

“Want to tell me what it is you’re brooding about?”

“Mercedes. . .”

Byleth opened his eyes.

“Are you worried about her and the baby? Don’t be. Lorenz strikes me as the doting type, for all his bluster. She’ll be well taken care of.”

“Not that. It’s merely the prospect of. . . A family. I have not had a proper family for a long time. It’s a new experience.”

“Well, you have me. And our ten cats.” Byleth chuckled. Jeritza couldn’t help but crack a smile.

“Yes. And I hardly deserve you all.”

“Oh stop that. I’m not perfect either. Anyway, why would you be so worried about having a bigger family? You’d be a perfect uncle! You’re a good cat dad, you like kids and you’re almost as good a storyteller as Mercie.” Byleth reached out and patted his cheek. “You’re just too melodramatic sometimes.”

Jeritza leant into the touch like a cat. If he could purr, he would have in that moment.

“My guiding star, your kindness always cuts me deep.”

“Yeah, yeah. Kiss me.”

Jeritza indulged his request and the rest hardly mattered.

**Author's Note:**

> "There is no other being I love more-" uh jeritza u dumb bitch what about mercie? lmao I got the ending where mercie opens the orphanage with her mum and the paired ending with lorenz and manuela but i like lorenz(i'm probably about the only one lol) and his supports with mercie. So they opened the orphanage together in my mind. idk what their ending actually is. sorry manuela.
> 
> anyway, hope you enjoyed this sickeningly sweet dumb fluff about my two favorite emotionally constipated drama queens and their cinnamon roll


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